


Internal Corrosion

by TheDarknessFactor



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, F/M, Gen, Post-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-13
Updated: 2016-03-13
Packaged: 2018-05-26 13:22:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6240904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDarknessFactor/pseuds/TheDarknessFactor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Okay, I love you, is that so wrong?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Internal Corrosion

**Author's Note:**

> The prompt is exactly what the summary says. I just...turned it into something REALLY angsty. There are some mentions of violence here.
> 
> Please enjoy!

“I don’t know.”  Natasha presses the heels of her hands into her eyes.  “Maybe?”

“Maybe?”  His laugh is incredulous.  “Natasha - this thing about not hating ourselves goes both ways.  Whatever you might think about not deserving it - “

“You don’t - “ She cuts herself off, lifting her head to look at him (why is her head pounding?).  She forces herself to calm down.  “You don’t know what I did, Bruce.  You weren’t there - you don’t know what I did to all of them.”

He has that befuddled look to him now, and the more dispassionate part of her inwardly mocks him for it.  “I wasn’t there, but I didn’t think - “

_When do you?_ she wants to scream, but she holds herself back again.  Unleashing all of her emotions here, now - it’s a mistake.  She knows that there are military forces in the building now, that they’re making their way towards this room, where they’ll… they’ll…

“You have to run, Bruce,” she insists.  “I don’t even know how you got here - you know what, it doesn’t matter.  Just run, _please_.”

“Come with me,” he pleads.  

“No, it doesn’t - it doesn’t matter.   _I_ don’t matter.”

“Don’t say that.  It’ll never be true.”

Natasha looks down at her hands, which are sticky and red.  She thinks of Tony - of throwing Tony’s head against a wall.  Of smashing Steve’s nose into his brain.  Of plunging one of Clint’s own arrows into his chest.

“I can’t be allowed to exist,” she insists.

The worst part is that she can see the moment Bruce’s heart breaks.  His eyes tighten, and he swallows visibly.  His hands curl into fists, but there’s no sign of green from him.  She begs silently for him to run, willing him to get out.

Behind her, the door bursts open.  She hears the gunshots start to ring out and tries to scream at him - 

“Natasha.  Natalia!”

The blinding pain from bullets ripping through her chest abruptly vanishes, and Natasha finds herself flat on her back, spasming slightly.  She gulps in air, immediately checking her hands, and finds that they’re clean.

Wanda is kneeling above her, hands covering her mouth.  There are tear tracks glistening on her face.

“I didn’t mean -” she whispers.  “I’m sorry, Natasha.  I… I lost control.  It hasn’t happened in so long, and I… I’m sorry.”

Natasha’s mouth works silently for a few moments before she finally gets out, “It’s fine.”

(It isn’t fine.)


End file.
